Resources for Design, Permits, & Financials with Solar Arrays
There is an interplay between your home’s roof area, the energy you use in a month, and what is economical and permitted by your utility and city. Below are resources on designing and understanding the design, planning, paperwork, and estimating costs of solar arrays for homes and businesses.
Getting Started with Solar Part 1 – Is Rooftop Solar Right for You?
Video – Part 1 of the “Getting Started with Solar” series. It is a suggested starting point before you try to size your system or review understanding the economics of solar panels.
An introduction to help you determine your array size, location, type, and direction, including links to tools to help you calculate your energy needs, understand sun angles/panel direction, and simple payback.
Our best advice for walking through Evergy’s application. Expect to be frustrated. This application website is not intended to be customer friendly. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to call or email us.
Based on Bluestem Electric, this guide helps you through the procedure common to Kansas Rural Electric Co-ops (REC)s to process requests for interconnecting generating wind or solar facilities.
A white paper from Evergy about how they bill and reimburse a customer for the electricity a residential customer generates with solar panels with comments by FHREEC to help explain things.
Understanding Your Electric Bill if You Have Solar Panels
Video – Most people don’t understand their electric bill since they don’t think they can do anything about it. However, the utility companies usually offer various plans, one of which may be right for you.
Understanding Different Utility Rate Plans like Demand Plan
Video – Utility companies often offer different rate plans. Some of these might suit your lifestyle and save you money. The first step is understanding how the other rate plans work. The Even Use Plan (Demand Plan) is not easy to understand.
Cities and Evergy require a licensed electrician to sign off before giving you a green tag to interconnect with their powerlines. We work with a couple of electricians in Manhattan but are happy to visit with an electrician of your choice. The City of Manhattan, KS’s form asks for your electrician, so arrange that before applying.
A basic chart to help you understand what a solar array of X # of panels will cost, including after-tax credits and your return on investment over time.
A basic chart to help you understand the rail and array size you need to plan for a home or business.